Gabriel, My Peanut, and Game-Changer

Oh where do I begin?  Gabriel George, my beautiful, silly, stubborn, wise little man.  The one who took us suddenly off our well planned life path and plopped us down in a whole new world.  One can never imagine what life will be like once children arrive, but it is even less imaginable when your child arrives with so many challenges.  We start out in what feels like darkness, only to have the most brilliant light illuminate the way.  And that light shows us colors we would not have seen otherwise, and the journey is filled with the depth of joy we never knew was possible.

Gabriel is that light, and that joy. He helps me appreciate the little things, and to discern the important things from the not-so-important things. In the most simple, yet profound ways, he brings truth to my life.  Those who know me personally know that sometimes I get frustrated with my house.  It's an average sized house, but with five people, thousands of comic books and what seems like a billion legos, I often feel like I have no space to breathe, and lament that my house is just too small for us.  The other night was one of those nights when I was frustrated with the clutter and lack of space and I went to bed thinking about how to create more space.  In the morning, I was awakened by kisses from Gabriel, who had come in hours earlier to cuddle and sleep, and the very first thing he said to me was this:  "Mommy, your house so big."  How is it that he even thought to say that?  I don't know, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.  We are so blessed with home in which to live and be together.  And the clutter simply does not matter.

And that is what Gabriel does.  He cuts through all the nonsense and trivialities of life, and shows us what is real and what matters.  He is my teacher, my life coach.  He keeps me centered and pulls me back when I get off track. I don't know what my life would have been like had it gone down the path I had planned for, but I am sure I would not be as happy, or as grateful. I love this boy more than any words can ever convey. Thank you Gabriel, for leading me through this life.  Thank you God, for giving me Gabriel as my guide.